I'm a big Gothic (1-2) fan & played a bunch of other similar games (Elex, Risen), which all had you start weak and asked you build yourself up. And I loved the Of Ash & Steel demo. So I really wanted to love this game. But after 3 hours walking mindlesly through that god damn city, it's too much. The hero is a cartographer - build me a map or allow me to buy one from the get go. It's too much context to keep in my mind - with Gothic 2 for example, you got the layout of the place in 1h and you could buy a rough map. The city is considerably bigger, with very little unique landmarks, making it very easy to get lost. Other issues: Finding a character? Only 1 out of 10 NPS seems to be of any relevance - good luck finding someone. Looking for goodies? Most of the city is empty - roaming through empty houses and annexes gets old really fast, to the point where I don't even bother. Finding a trainer? You would think they could put a note in the journal regarding who can teach you what. Nope, nothing. Yeah, I won't bother remembering this. This game is too hardcore for me right now, I'll have to wait until they make it more enjoyable (I'm not asking for witcher 3 like handholding, I'm asking them to make it enjoyable for a full time family man who does not have an eternity of free time).
